(COLUMBIA, MO) -
The National League of Cities (NLC) has recognized the City of Columbia and Mayor Bob McDavid for recent completion of key health and wellness goals for Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC). LMCTC is a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama's comprehensive Let's Move! initiative, which is dedicated to solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation.
The City of Columbia became involved in the initiative in May of 2011 when McDavid signed a proclamation recognizing the City as a Let's Move community.
"The overall health of our community is tied to our citizens' quality of life," McDavid said. "We are pleased to be recognized for the work we have done to educate and promote healthy lifestyles. This is a true partnership with the City, schools and other community groups through the Healthy Community Partnership, collaborating to make Columbia one of the healthiest places to live in our state."
Five medals were awarded to Columbia for action taken to improve access to healthy affordable food and increase opportunities for physical activity. The City completed actionable goals in three categories:
Bronze Medal-Goal 1: Start Early, Start Smart: Promoting best practices for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early care and education settings. Columbia was recognized for the Department of Public Health and Human Services' work in educating early childcare providers on proper nutrition and physical activity for children.
Bronze Medal-Goal 3: Smart Servings for Students: Increasing participation in school breakfast and lunch programs. Columbia was recognized for the school district having all of its schools participating in the School Breakfast Program, with plans to continue at that level.
Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals-Goal 5: Active Kids at Play: Increasing opportunities for physical activity. Columbia was recognized for having a 10-year Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, identifying playspaces, determining trends and directing future development of parks.
The other two LMCTC goal areas are Goal 2: My Plate, Your Place: Prominently displaying MyPlate in all municipal or county venues where food is served, and Goal 4: Model Food Service: Implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
More than 160 cities, towns and counties are participating in LMCTC. NLC awarded 541 medals to local elected officials across the country, recognizing these leaders for their progress in adopting long-term, sustainable, and holistic policies that improve communities' access to healthy affordable food and opportunities for physical activity.
For more information about LMCTC and the City of Columbia's accomplishments, visit www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org.
53°F